Rockets' White still sitting out

Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Royce White released a statement on Sunday
saying he will not play until he is medically cleared by mental health
professionals.

The rookie's lengthy statement came one day after the Houston Rockets assigned him to Rio Grande Valley of the NBA D-League.

White, the 16th overall pick by the Rockets last June, has sat out the entire
season in part because of a complex social anxiety disorder.

In his lone season at Iowa State in 2011-12, White was the only player in the
country to lead his team in scoring (13.4 ppg), rebounding (9.3 rpg), assists
(5.0 apg), steals (1.2 spg) and blocks (0.9 bpg).

The Rockets have yet to see those all-around talents in the regular season,
though general manager Daryl Morey recently said the club is "committed to
Royce's long term success and we will continue to support him now and going
forward."

White claimed those words to be "fundamentally incorrect," in his statement
and feels it is "unsafe for unqualified Rockets front office personnel to make
medical decisions, as they are not mental health professionals."

"I do wish to play, but I only intend to do so with the collaboration and
recommendation of trained professionals," the statement read. "My only hope is
that decision makers involved realize that doctors are the only logical source
to decide action."